Sexton’s Report
I am very happy to be working here at the First Congregational Church of Williamstown. I am pleased and sometimes amazed at the ambition and motivation exhibited by the staff and membership of this congregation. It really keeps my job interesting and challenging, juggling events and maintaining the facility in a clean and organized fashion.
Listed below are some accomplishments that have taken place during 2008. The renters sign posts that were damaged from plowing and vandals were replaced using some of the old steam pipes from the cellar. The Hammer for tolling the church bell was repaired after being in a damaged state for several years. Our heating system has been upgraded providing individual thermostats in the Parlor, Kitchen, Christian Ed Office, Room B8 Classroom, Room B10 Archives Office, Harry’s Office and the Mango Room. We now have alternate tables for the Fellowship Hall. The purchase of eight round tables materialized from a conversation at our weekly staff meeting and the shrewd shopping of Gail Burns. Keith Davis headed up a group effort to add much needed insulation in the Attic. An audio cable was installed from the sound system up to the choir loft for use when video taping the Sunday services; this was added to improve the sound quality of the videos being produced for the web. Some much needed painting was done by John Blackmer in the Bride’s Room and the handicap entrance. Carolyn Behr and Barbara Craig redecorated and had the sofa and chair covered in the Bride’s Room, I hung a new mirror and of course the new carpeting made the Brides Room a beautiful space. I designed and built a shelving unit for the many boxes of storage materials needed in the Archives Room. I have to thank Cecil Harvey for his expertise in repairing the Steeple Clock. Cecil has taught me a lot about this great old clock but I still can’t do it as well as he does.
My Report log is full of many repair jobs and projects that are still underway. Any one can view this report log on church windows in the Trustees Building Guide Book. The Stewardship cluster has been very supportive and has been very responsible in their pursuit of the necessary building needs. I have and will continue to help them bring all sponsored projects to fruition and I thank Susan Clarke and the Cluster for including me in the decision-making process.
In conclusion I will always be open to suggestions and ideas on how I can improve my contribution to the upkeep and maintenance of your facility. I am looking forward to 2009 and promise to do my best for this congregation.
Respectfully submitted
Harry A. LaGess
Observations
Members of the Stewardship Cluster have worked hard to carry out responsibilities on specific projects and to make decisions in the context of the church’s overall finances and priorities. We are fortunate to attract so many volunteers for so many projects, and to have support from the staff members associated with the cluster-Gail Burns, Office Administrator/Assistant to the Pastor; Harry LaGess, Sexton; Annie Parkman, Financial Secretary; and Kay Sherman, Office Assistant and Assistant Treasurer. We thank our Pastor, Carrie Bail, for her leadership and participation.
Susan Clarke, Chair, 2008 Stewardship Cluster
Church Website
The website is an important way to provide information about the church, both to our community and to friends and members. The Stewardship Cluster has admired the expansion and maintenance of the website, due in part to temporary professional help, and has received updates from Nan Fritz and Brian Handspicker.
College Liaison
Robert Behr and Robert Hadden have conferred with Williams College representatives and resolved various operational matters, including a final agreement on ownership and maintenance of the sidewalk on Chapin Drive, access to the parking lot during church and college events, parking lot repairs, and adjustments to the snow-plowing procedures.
Our Building
As part of their planning, in an effort led by Keith Davis, members of the Stewardship Cluster prepared an extensive list of potential major renovation and maintenance projects and sought input on priorities from the other two clusters, the Church Council, and the Congregation as a whole. Feedback indicated the highest priority for energy reduction applications and projects enabling the church to be more “green” in its operations
A major project involved changes in the heating system: to divide it into additional zones and to install more thermostats, thus assuring that we heat only the spaces being used. Supplementing the Stewardship Cluster’s Makepeace funds, Carol Stein-Payne and others contributed their surplus Makepeace funds to support the heating system changes, as did Marion Goodale, who allocated funds donated in honor of her late sister, Hazel Bullock.
A second project involved additional insulation, approximately 2,243 square feet, an accomplishment of volunteer crews led by Keith Davis and including Robert Hadden, Harry LaGess, Martien Mulder, Jerry Smith, Lauren Stevens, and Robert Behr
Currently underway is installation of energy-efficient windows in the center area of the church building–Fellowship Hall, kitchen, parlor, and offices for the Counseling Center of the Berkshires. Through this initiative we expect to halve our energy in these areas.
John Blackmer has worked on various projects-painting and other assistance -and has been the Cluster’s liaison with our Sexton, Harry LaGess, who has worked with contractors, dealt with emergencies, and kept our operations running smoothly in many, many ways.
Personnel and Legal Matters
Personnel Committee. The 2008 committee consisted of five individuals-Co-Moderator Carolyn Behr, Clerk Marilyn Faulkner, Stewardship Cluster representative and chair Susan Clarke, Congregation Cluster representative Lynn Chick, and Community Cluster representative Tammy Fraser. Together they were responsible for
- Reviewing individual job descriptions to assure they were up-to-date and inclusive
- Reviewing proposals for new or significantly changed staff positions
- Contributing to the performance evaluations given by the Pastor to staff members
- Recommending salaries for the upcoming year
- Reviewing and recommending adjustments to the general Personnel Policies for all employees
- Helping to resolve any personnel-related issues as they arise
Staff members associated with each cluster are: Community-Pastor; Congregation– Pastor, Minister of Music, Director of Christian Education; Stewardship–Pastor, Office Administrator/Assistant to the Pastor, Sexton, Financial Secretary, and Office Assistant/Assistant Treasurer. The committee conducted its reviews, recommended revisions to the Personnel Polices that were approved by the Church Council, and contributed to the performance evaluations carried out by the Pastor and Deacons. Although the current economic situation is very negative, the committee recognizes the value and hard work of all staff members and recommended small salary increases for them.
Legal Matters; Safe Church Policy. The church is required to have a written and approved Safe Church Policy, primarily involving child protection management policies and procedures. Brian Handspicker led the successful process of developing a draft, reviewing it with various elements of the church, and presenting it for approval by the Church Council.
Fund- Raising, Financial Reviews, and Budgeting
Annual Pledge Drive. Members for 2008 have been Robert Behr (co-chair), Deborah Crabbs-MacDonald (co-chair), Robert Hadden, Samuel Humes, James Richardson, and Barbara Walvoord. The newly-named “Annual Pledge Committee” began its work in early October with a reminder note added to the third quarter pledge report sent by Financial Secretary Annie Parkman. The fall Sunday bulletins each contained brief reminders about how 2008 pledge monies were being used. Stewardship Sunday (November 9th, 2008) was highlighted by a thematic sermon from Pastor Carrie. The formal pledge requests for 2009 were mailed to arrive in the following days.
Meanwhile, the six members of the Committee each gave successive Sunday testimonials, briefly noting what the FCC meant to them. A stirring sermon by Co-Moderator Carl Westerdahl kept the pot boiling. By mid-December we had received 92 pledges for 2009, totaling some $200,000, but still short of the $235,000 goal. Reminder notes from the Committee stimulated additional pledges. At press time (January 13, 2009) 125 pledges have been made for $233,185.00. Additional follow-ups may be necessary.
Tag Sale. Jody Green and a host of volunteers collected, cleaned, organized, priced, and sold on September 6th, 2008 many, many household items, resulting in a net revenue of approximately $9,000 for the church. The cluster members thank all those who helped with this significant recycling and fund-raising effort.
Financial Review and Budgeting. Cluster members have worked with new Treasurer John Craig and have received his monthly reports, including an outside financial review and regular monitoring of income and expenditures, both for the cluster and for the church as a whole. Cluster members Robert Behr, Susan Clarke, and Anne Skinner served on the Budget Task Force. Annie Parkman has been generous with her time to provide historical records and documentation in many endeavors.
STEWARDSHIP CLUSTER
The Stewardship Cluster comprises the elements of our church community that enable us to reach outward and inward: a building for worship and church programs, support of our leadership, and funds to fulfill our ongoing commitments. Its responsibilities include: (together with the Treasurer) funding and financial oversight, personnel and legal matters; our building; and certain aspects of community engagement (enabling building use, Williams College liaison, church history, and allocation methods for Makepeace funds).
Organization
Stewardship Cluster 2008 members have included: Robert Behr , Adriana Brown, Susan Clarke, Keith Davis, Jody Green, Robert Hadden, Brian Handspicker, Cesar Silva, and Anne Skinner. Each member has brought a unique background in participation in the life of the church, has shared views and experiences, has contributed to decision-making, and has sought to broaden his or her understanding of the administrative operations of the church. Cluster members have worked closely with the Treasurer (who has acted as an ex officio member), have made policy and spending decisions, and have worked with other members of the Congregation in sub-groups focused on specific projects. Jody Green has been our scribe for most of our written reports.
The Stewardship Cluster’s focus is on financial support and administrative operations to preserve the assets of the church and support its mission. Chair: Susan Clarke
Pastor’s Report
In the secular world 2008 was a year of tremendous change, both in terms of presidential politics and of the down-turning economy. Here at the First Congregational Church of Williamstown U.C.C., however, it was a relatively stable and productive period. After a vote at last year’s Annual Meeting, we immediately began giving life to the governance structure we’ve spent so many years envisioning: The Cluster System. Although we’ve found a few significant wrinkles along the way, basically IT WORKS! The Congregational Cluster, of which your worship staff are an integral part, has had the most difficulty in finding a workable system for meeting; but after twelve months the whole edifice is still standing and we look forward to smoothing out the kinks.
Dynamics of the changing mainline church continued to be a topic of discussion among the deacons, first through a group discussion of a book called Unbinding the Gospel by
Martha Reese. Then again, at our summer potluck picnics, we discussed a book called Church at a Crossroads by Neal MacPherson. We are in sync with most of our sibling churches in Massachusetts, we discovered at the Mass. Conference Annual Meeting held for the first time in November rather than June. One of the key themes of that two-day event was the “Emerging Church” and a speech describing the historical congregational practice of discernment as a process for congregational decision making. I was fortunate to be named a General Synod delegate at that meeting and will look forward to that gathering in Grand Rapids, Michigan next June.
This June I completed a year of serving the Williamstown Ecumenical Association as its convener, changing our customary meetings from once a month to five times per year, each gathering created to fulfill one of our common purposes. I have also been a regular attendee at the monthly Berkshire County UCC pastors’ luncheons and the Northern Berkshire Clergy Association morning gatherings. It has been a year of transition in several local pastorates, as the Rev. Pat MacHugh of the United Methodists left to be a District Supervisor in Maine and the Rev. Jill Graham left the North Adams UCC to be an Associate Conference Minister. We have welcomed the Rev. Michelle Grube to UMC and an interim to North Adams. Also in the realm of the wider church, we were delighted to be the hosts for the ordination service of the Rev. Jeffrey Stevens, child of this church, as he began his ministry at the Franklin Congregational Church in Franklin, N.H. Now I serve on the Spiritual Care advisory group for North Adams Regional Hospital, and also help to staff a weekly spiritual group in Greylock Pavilion.
Two UCC churches in Stockbridge and in Lee have asked my help in making presentations to their membership as they make decisions about becoming Open and Affirming. I was also invited by OLLI (formerly Berkshire Lifelong Learning) to be part of their “What I Believe” series along with seven other Northern Berkshire clergy, making a presentation to the class they gathered about our church and its history here in our own sanctuary. The confirmation retreat was in March at the Framingham Conference Center; it was followed by an early Confirmation Sunday, May 4th. We received seven young women as new members, my daughters among them! After a spring membership class, we also received five new adult members. This fall we have a class with five 8th and 9th grade students enrolled.
After saying a fond “good-bye” to Beth Parker, last year’s Christian Education interim, we did an intensive search for a new Christian Education Director in June, having decided to separate out the position from youth leader. We were fortunate to hire Kathy Noble, who had years of experience at South Congregational Church in Pittsfield; and as you will see from her report, it’s been a busy and growing fall in our church school. With Kathy’s help, we have at long last implemented our Safe Church policy, holding a staff retreat and training at the new home of Ed Lawrence and Diego Uribe in August. We are in great need of serious discussion and new vision in terms of our ministry with high school youth, however. The decision of many of our families, including my own, to send high school students to private school has caused the numbers to dwindle. We hope you will add your thoughts to the discussions coming up this spring.
Our congregation has continued our interest in the climate change movement. We now have a subgroup in the Community Cluster addressing this concern. For Earth Day in April we hosted our Conference Minister and President, the Rev. James Antal, whose passion is Eco-Justice. I attended two conferences on the subject, one in Newton MA. in June and a weeklong conference on Eco-Justice and Prophetic Ministry at the Ghost Ranch in Abiqui, New Mexico in late July. That was a wonderful and renewing opportunity, not only in terms of that particular topic, but also in the opportunity to worship each day under the tutelage of the Rev. Phillip Newell. The morning prayer liturgy I learned there was the basis for our church’s Advent series, and I am hoping we can find a regular place for it in our church schedule.
We have also contributed to the local mental health advocacy movement. In April we were happy to be invited to a community tea with Kay Redfield Jamieson, one of the foremost researchers in bipolar disorder in the nation, who spoke at Williams College. Taking up her challenge, we created a month-long series of educational events in October in conjunction with the Williams College Counseling Center.
December has had the usual wonderful excitement of the holiday season. Once again we were able to co-host the Alternative Gift Fair with the Williams’ Students for Social Justice. During the Holiday Week, we hosted the Habitat Christmas Tree sale as well as some dramatic activities in our sanctuary thanks to our Administrative Assistant, Gail Burns. Our Mexican posada and inside crèche scene are fresh in my mind as I’m writing, and it’s a breath of fresh air to see several new families and their children participating in our midst. This coming year may indeed prove to be a challenging one financially, but with the solid support of a good staff and an active membership, I’m sure that with God’s help we will meet the challenge.
Your pastor,
Carrie Bail
